Facing the Past
by MarilagML
Summary: Bella was a successful businesswoman and a single mother. What happens when she is face to face with a man who broke her heart? P.S. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I'm just having fun with her character.
1. Chapter 1 Bella

A/N: I don't have a plan for this story but let's see how it goes, okay?

I was the last person that people expected to succeed. When I was in high school, I had poor grades and I wasn't athletic. I wasn't even artistic. Everybody expected nothing from me. And then I saw him. I fell in love and in a short time he left. Not too long after that, I found out that I was pregnant.

I was the last person everyone expected to succeed. As I stared into the company I founded, stared into my thirty something employees while we have our Christmas party, I realized how lucky I was. I was recently named the People of the Year. My daughter was doing quite well too. Vanessa was ten now and she was considered a musical prodigy. I would never forget the day she was born. That's when I vowed to do my best for her.

My assistant Angela handed me my phone. "Miss Swan, your father's on the line."

I thanked her and grabbed it. "Dad, what's the matter?"

"Vanessa's fever hasn't gone down. Your mom and I will bringing her to the hospital."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I needed to think. "I'll leave as soon as possible."

"Enjoy your party for a few more hours. Your mom and I can handle this."

I wanted to leave and be with my daughter but my father was right. My mother was a nurse. She and my dad had raised me and my three siblings together. They've been through this before.

"Okay. But I'll leave as soon as possible."

We exchanged our goodbyes and I hanged up. My worry might be showing as my dear sister Rosalie approached me, anxiety written all over her.

"What's the matter?"

"Mom and dad are bringing Vanessa to the hospital. I need to go."

Rosalie shook her head. "You've been working six days a week and attending all of your daughter's recitals no matter how far they are. This would be the first time you have actually have some free time. We will finish this party. As soon as we were done, I'll drive you to the hospital myself." She grabbed her own phone. "Emmett, how are the kids?...Good…Listen, Mom and Dad are rushing Vanessa to the hospital…No, don't wake up the kids. However, I might not come home tonight…Yes, if Vanessa is still at the hospital they should visit her tomorrow. I love you. Bye."

She then turned to me. "I'll stay with you for as long as you need. Emmett has everything covered. Now, relax and enjoy your party. You can be absent for work tomorrow. Tanya and I will take care of everything."

"Thanks, Rosalie." I've never been so glad to be working with my two sisters in my life.

After what seems like forever, the party finally ended. Rosalie drove me along with Tanya to the hospital.

I rushed as I looked for the pediatric ward with Rosalie and Tanya barely managing to keep up with me. As soon as I found it, I hit a hard body and fell.

"I'm sorry. I'm in such a rush I didn't see where I was going." In that moment, all the apology had left my mouth.

I'm staring at the man who broke my heart all those years ago. He still had that deep brown hair that turned red when light hits it a certain way. He was still as tall and even had developed muscles in his upper body. His eyes were still that deep emerald green even though the innocence had left it.

"You!"

"Bella?"

I stared at Edward Cullen, the man who broke my heart.

I looked down and saw the chart and saw Vanessa's name on it. Edward was assigned to take care of his daughter. Oh, snap!


	2. Chapter 2 Rosalie

A/N: As I write the story, I'm getting a better idea on where I want this story to go. My plan is to make this one very lighthearted but I cannot promise that it won't turn dark. I don't know where the story will go.

A quick note, Edward doesn't know that Vanessa is his. He and Bella broke up before she found out that she was pregnant and have not seen her ever since.

When I got home the next day, I three-way called Tanya and Jasper. Our oldest sibling was in the Marines and was stationed somewhere in Afghanistan. He would want to hear this.

We filled him in on what had happened. I wasn't surprised when he let out a string of expletives because of the situation.

"So, what do we do about this?" I asked.

"We need to make sure that Edward stays away from Bella," Tanya answered.

"I knew that. Jasper, help us out."

"We need to make sure that they don't spend some time alone," he answered.

"Agreed. We don't want Edward to worm his way back to Bella's life. Not after what it cost Jasper." Tanya was right. Jasper beat up Edward and told him to stay away from Bella. It almost cost him his career. He was forced to stay inside the base for a month as punishment.

Tanya, Jasper, and I saw Edward with his arm around another woman who wasn't our sister.

"What was the name of that chick again? Aisha? Annie?"

"Alice." I corrected Jasper. The name wasn't as important as the fact that she was a woman.

"What's the plan?" Tanya asked.

"We need to make sure to bring Bella some work. Both of you alternate on checking up on her in the morning and in the afternoon. Between her worry about Vanessa and her desire to keep things going in Swan Enterprises, it should keep her so busy that she won't have time to spend with Edward," Jasper dictated.

Since neither Tanya nor I haven't come up with a better plan, we agreed to Jasper's proposal. I agreed to be with Bella in the morning and Tanya would be taking the afternoon shift.

When I got to the hospital, Edward was leaning so close to Bella that it looked like he was about to kiss her. I cleared my throat and wedged myself between the two.

"Rosalie, what are you doing here?" Bella asked.

"I'm here to keep you company. Tanya's the one managing the company right now. She'll be here in the afternoon," I explained.

"I see," Edward said. "I'll be going for now but I'll be back later to check on Vanessa."

As soon as Edward was at the door, he looked straight at me. If looks could kill, I would be dead by now. It doesn't matter because I'm protecting my sister.

End Notes:

So, what do you think of Bella's overprotective siblings?

Jasper couldn't get out of the base at all. The good thing about military bases was that it's like a small town so he had everything he needs inside so he won't starve and he can do laundry for his uniform but he can't go with his friends if they want to go to the movies or do something fun. That's an extreme punishment. Ten years before this story, Jasper was still a cadet so he got off lightly.


	3. Chapter 3 Bella

A/N: This story is forming nicely. I foresee this story to be a short multichapter fic. It will be a novella.

The good news was that Vanessa only has flu and that her fever had gone down. She could go home after two days. I was thankful that my sisters had already left. Although I love them to death, they tend to hover so much that I couldn't do anything I want.

Emmett had brought his kids for an hour to play with Vanessa. It cheered her up to see her cousins.

Now that I have the time, I was doing what I could to help Vanessa study. Not that it helped. Vanessa was already doing Geometry, a subject that she was supposed to take during her sophomore in high school. Math was not my strongest subject.

That was how Edward found us. I was sitting on the seat next to Vanessa's bed while she tries to figure out her homework on her own.

He's no longer wearing his lab coat.

"How's my favorite patient?" Edward asked.

"I'm pretty sure you say that to every single one of your patients," I quipped.

"No. Just Vanessa. What are you doing?" Edward asked.

"Geometry. I'm trying to find the perimeter of the square even though it's missing one side," Vanessa explained.

"If you'll excuse me…" Edward took the spot next to me. He showed Vanessa how it was done. After fifteen minutes and a couple of different examples, Vanessa finally have an answer to her homework.

"Thank you," I said.

"No problem." Edward turned to Vanessa. "If you needs any help, anything at all, let me know and I'll help you."

I found myself smiling at his offer. In that moment, I found myself staring at the man I fell in love with. The truth was it was his helpfulness that attracted him to me at first. His good looks made me think that he's shallow. A loud booming voice shook me out of my thoughts.

"Hello!"

"Uncle Jacob!" Vanessa shouted.

Jacob puffed up his chest, strutted his way to Vanessa, and hugged her. Then, he turned to me, enveloped me in his arms, and pecked me on my cheek.

"How's my wife?" Jacob asked. When Vanessa was younger, her Aunt Rosalie explained that Emmett was her uncle because she loved him so much that she married him. Vanessa didn't really understand the concept at the time. All she got was that when two people loved each other, they get married. Jacob was her father figure. She said that she loves him so much that she will marry him. That way, they can be family and that she'll have a dad. Jacob had been calling her his wife ever since.

"I'm good, Uncle Jacob. Uncle Edward taught me Geometry. Look."

Jacob stared at the man who broke my heart. "Thanks, man! Math isn't Bella's strongest subject."

There was a hardness in Edward's expression. "I know," he said.

Jacob stared at me and sighed. "Have you eaten dinner, Bella?"

"No, Uncle Jacob. She hasn't."

Jacob frowned. "Let's have dinner. Come on." He then turned to Edward. "Can you take care of my little princess while I feed Bella?"

Edward was quiet for a second and then he nodded. "Sure."

Jacob grabbed my hand and we headed toward the cafeteria.

"Edward looks yummy!" Jacob said while he was eating his burger. "He had such a nice butt."

I almost choke on my burger. "Jacob! Hands off my ex!" Nobody knew that Jacob preferred men. He had always been attracted to them but he wouldn't act on it. He's Catholic. He couldn't help but be attracted to men. However, acting on that desire is a sin.

"I know. So, what is he doing here? I thought he left without saying anything eleven years ago."

"He's Vanessa's doctor."

"No way!"

"Maybe this is fate giving you a second chance."

"It could be. Do you think I should give him a second chance?" I asked.

"Bella, answer me. Do you still love him?"

I nodded. "I do." I never dated anyone other than Edward. He had created such a deep impact on me that no other man was good enough to replace him. "But you do realize that my siblings will be mad."

"Don't worry about your siblings. I'll help you," he said. "Promise me something though."

"What's that?"

"If this doesn't work out, you'll move on and put him behind you."

"Deal."

It took us thirty minutes to finish our food. By the time we got back, Edward was still helping Vanessa with her homework although he seemed tense.

Vanessa saw us first. "Mom!"

"How was dinner?" Edward asked.

"Good," I answered.

"I better go. I have an early day tomorrow," Edward said.

"Okay. Bye, Edward," Jacob said. His eyes seemed to travel straight to Edward's butt. Then, he turned to Vanessa.

Jacob told Vanessa a bedtime story. It had been a routine for us. Every night, Jacob would come to our house and tell Vanessa a story. As soon as Vanessa was asleep, he and I would have dinner while we talk about our day. He once said that Vanessa needed a father. He would be fulfilling that role until someone else steps up.

Jacob was a good man. Every night I pray for his happiness. If anyone deserves it, it would be him.

End Notes: What do you think of Jacob being gay? He enjoys having a lot of good friends and is a member of a tight-knit family even though he's not in a relationship.


	4. Chapter 4 Jasper

A/N: Hello, everyone! It's been two weeks since I last update. I hope you have a good holiday.

"What do you mean it didn't work?" I asked. I was pacing back and forth as I tried unsuccessfully to get rid of my frustration.

Rosalie was just filling me in to let me know that our plan to guard Bella didn't work. Apparently, she and Edward were closer than ever. According to my sister, were so close that Edward had been visiting her and Vanessa almost everyday.

"Didn't you and Tanya promised to guard her?" I needed to know more details to evaluate the situation.

"Jacob was there too. He was the reason why our plan didn't work," Tanya explained.

F***ing Jacob. That d**n best friend of Bella was my first choice for her husband. It seemed to me that he was so f***ing clueless as to hand my sister to another man.

"So, what's the plan now?" Tanya asked.

"We need to introduce Bella to other men," I said. Maybe then this f***ing situation would stop.

I had several brothers in mind. Brothers that wouldn't f***ing play with my sister's heart.

"I know! I can introduce her to my workout buddy. He and I met at the gym and right now, he's looking for a girlfriend," Tanya suggested.

"I can introduce her to one of Emmett's colleagues," Rosalie added. Emmett was a lawyer.

"That's good. The more men we introduce the better the chances she would stop looking at Edward. I had a couple of other brothers in mind." The military was one big family. I considered all the men and women in uniform to be my family-especially if they're in the marines.

"Jasper, you do realize that Bella was a successful business woman in the fashion industry who also happens to be a single mother, right? Introducing her to one of your military buddies isn't likely going to work. You guys move around too much," Tanya pointed out.

"We'll see." Military men were also protective of their women-someone Bella would especially need once Vanessa becomes a teen.

I talked to my sister for another ten minutes to catch up with their lives. I do my best trying to keep up with my family even though I'm halfway across the world. It was not easy to do with the time difference. Nevertheless, I do my best to talk to my family on a regular basis.

I had an early day tomorrow. It was my turn to do the watch. I went to my bunker and did my best to sleep. I had to be up by 0300.

The next day was uneventful. After my work I headed back to the barracks as I tried to catch my sleep. Being a single soldier with no dependent meant that the Uncle Sam don't pay me as much money as those that do so I spent the rest of my money trying to fit the rest of the month. The good thing about being a soldier was that I get to have a place to sleep in.

When I woke up, I searched for James. He just got off for the day. James and I had known each other for three years. We shared the same room-along with 100 other people. I knew for sure that he was a good man and would treat my sister right. He had not had a girlfriend ever since his former wife was tragically killed two years ago. Victoria was six months pregnant at the time. They named their baby boy Laurent.

He was supposed to go on a two week leave starting next week. Thankfully, we both grew up in the state of Washington-he in Port Angeles while I grew up in a small town called Forks. I could always ask him to check on my baby sister to see how she was doing. Since Bella lived in Port Angeles now, it would be an easy feat.

James knew about Bella and the fact that she had a little girl. He loved kids and would've made a great father. Hopefully, he and Bella would hit it off and I would make him into my real brother. But I was getting ahead of myself.

Today was supposed to be my day off. I went in search of Maria, a local who I happened to be dating. It had been six months and I decided that I wanted to marry her. She was beautiful and kind. My family would love her.

I went to our favorite restaurant and I rehearsed what I had to say. Maria came through the door, her face and body covered up except for her eyes. She sauntered in my direction and sat in front of me. Maria and I spoke at the same time.

"Listen, Maria. I..."

"My father decided to marry me off to someone else..."

"What?!"

Maria explained that the man was a big time businessman. He had a few stores in and out of the country.

As she was telling me these things, it felt like someone shot me in the chest except that blood did not drip out of the wound. I knew that I needed to let out what was in my chest.

"You know, I was going to propose."

Tears formed in Maria's eyes. "I'm in love with you. However, marriage is more than the feeling you call love."

Things ended with me and Maria that night. I went back to the barracks, where I found James reading something.

"What's up, Jasper? You looked like h*ll!" James said.

"I know. Maria dumped me. Her f***ing father decided to marry her off with a f***ing businessman."

James brought me to the gym. He and I sparred for an hour while I cursed the s**t out of my f***ing situation. When we got back, I felt better. Punching something does wonders for a broken heart.

End Notes: Jasper and his potty mouth. He's in the military and I know first hand that soldiers curse a lot. They clean up their language when they're with family but those F-bombs are in almost every sentence when they're alone with their peers. I don't like to curse so I deliberately put the asterisk so I don't have to see it in the writing. Nevertheless, I'm sure everyone knows he's saying.

As for the moving around a lot, soldiers don't stay in one place as the US government tend to send them to a new place every few months or so. That's why Tanya is so concerned.

What do you think of James being a good guy?


	5. Chapter 5 Tanya

A/N: How are you everyone? Tax season is starting which means that I'll be quite busy. I'll do my best to write but in case I skipped a week or two, it means that RL has me swamped. That should only last until the last week of April.

Jasper's plan to introduce Bella to other men was good in theory. Since she had only been with Edward, it might be the case that she hadn't met enough of them. Hence, we were trying to introduce her to different men that would be compatible with her. I wanted to introduce her to Seth. He was a good man and preferred women who didn't reveal too much of themselves in terms of clothing.

My plan was to invite Seth to my parents' 35th anniversary which he agreed to attend. There was something very attractive to men in their tux and I was counting on that when he met Bella. Seth had a tan complexion like Jacob but five inches shorter than him at 5'10". After that, I would introduce him to Bella and let the two of them talk.

I was pretty sure Bella and Seth would hit it off. Seth told me that he was looking for someone who's warm, responsible, and passionate. Bella was all of those things and more. Bella wanted a good man who would be a good father to Vanessa. Seth was all of those things.

Seth and I decided to carpool since we lived in the same building. I was pretty sure that my parents would tease me for bringing him around. Nevertheless, Rosalie would help me build him up as an eligible bachelor that he is.

I came down to the parking lot where Seth was already waiting. He would be driving his silver Honda Civic. It should leave a good impression to my mother who hated men who shows off.

"You look great! It seemed that your time at the gym is paying off," Seth said.

I opened the door and sat on the passenger's side. Seth started the car and we were on our way to my parents' house.

I filled Seth in on my family. I told him about my parents, Jasper, Rosalie, and most especially, Bella. I wanted Bella to look good in Seth's eyes.

When we got to my parents' house, I looked for my parents, greeted them, and kissed them on the cheek. I introduced them to Seth.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Swan," he said.

"Seth, call us Charlie and Renee. Mr. and Mrs. Swan makes us feel old," mom said.

"Mom, where's Rosalie and Bella?" I asked.

"Over there." Mom pointed Rosalie and Bella. They were playing with their kids.

Seth and I went to where my siblings were seated.

"Hi, Tanya! Can you introduce us to your friend?" Rosalie asked.

"Seth, this is Rosalie and Bella," I said.

I sat next to my siblings. The good thing about my parents was that they hired a party planner and a caterer for this occasion. It meant a lot less work for all of us so we can have a good time.

We all talked for a while. Then, when I noticed that Bella had warmed up to Seth, I decided that I needed to excuse myself.

"I just need to use the restroom," I said. I gestured to Rosalie to follow suit.

I went to the one upstairs. While we do have a restroom downstairs, those were reserved for guest. When I got out, Rosalie was waiting outside the door.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"He looks a lot like Jacob."

"That's because he's also Quileute. What do you think of him?"

"I think he's a good match for Bella," she said.

We waited for about five to ten minutes before we decided to head back. The children treat our parents' home like it was their house. That being said, we needed to keep them in line to make sure that they don't get too rowdy for the guest. We couldn't leave them for too long or they could get into shenanigans that could disturb the other guests.

When we get there, I found Seth talking to our cousin Kate with Bella nowhere to be found. The two seemed very close and smiling. Rosalie and I looked at each other and head to the table.

"Where's Bella?" I asked.

"She's trying to chase after the three brats. Maybe you should help her," Kate answered. Brats were what we lovingly call Rosalie's boys. They could cause a lot of ruckus and were always annoying Vanessa who ended up chasing after them.

Rosalie and I decided to look for the boys. When we found them, Rosalie corralled them to her old room.

"You three will stay here until the party was over. That's final!" she said. She was mad at the missed opportunity like me.

"You're not going to feed them dinner?" I asked.

"I'll bring them food from the fridge," she said.

I cringed. Mom had been on health food phase lately. The boys hated Quinoa salad which would likely end up on their dinner plates along with hummus. I was pretty sure she'll add some grilled fish for good measure. That should teach them to behave next time.

Seth and Kate talked all night. They hit it off. At the end of the evening, he asked for my cousin's number. They were planning on meeting again next week. When Seth and I went home that evening, all he could talk about was my cousin. That being said, I hope that either Rosalie and Jasper would have a better luck at matchmaking.

Closing Note: What do you think of Tanya's matchmaking mishap?


	6. Chapter 6 Bella

A/N: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the late update. RL happens. I have an interesting week. Saturday, I found myself stuck in the Forbidden Forest ride in Universal Studios Hollywood. I was already on the ride when it stopped. Thankfully, I managed to get out unscathed. The ride was perfectly safe. I didn't feel like I'm in any danger at all. However, it's one of those moments where it felt like I found the man behind the curtain. I saw that without the projection, the Quidditch match was just a big white screen.

Sunday, I donated blood. I donated more than one pint-my blood leaked and spilled on the floor.

Monday, I felt like I'm coming down with something. I was perfectly fine in the morning but in the afternoon, I felt like I'm coming down with a terrible cold/flu. I had to call Red Cross to warn them that I'm coming down with something. They said that they will test my blood to make sure that it's safe to use my blood. I also have to watch myself for 24 hours and to tell them if I've gotten worse. I hope they can as my blood type was in shortage at the moment. It happens from time to time. I have donated for at least 17-18 times for the past 12 years and this has once.

-FTP-

Since it's Saturday and it's Edward's day off, Edward and Vanessa spent the whole day together playing together-after she finished her chores, of course. I made sure that Vanessa dust the furniture and vacuum every week. Although we had a maid that comes five days a week, she gets a day off on the weekend. I wanted Vanessa to learn responsibility. I wanted to teach her life skills before she went off to college.

Jacob and I spent the whole time designing some bags for next season and baking lasagna at the kitchen. Jacob had a good eye when it comes to accessories. He was the reason why our male line was popular.

Cooking and baking has always helped Jacob and I brainstorm for the new line. It also helped us break the routine when we feel stuck. Once a week, Jacob and I tried to do the cooking and baking while we brainstorm. Let's just say that by the end of it, we both have enough food to eat for the week and even bring the rest of the food at work.

"How do you think the Edward and Vanessa are doing?" Jacob asked.

I just shook my head and laughed. The two had been playing the piano and singing for an hour-after Vanessa had finished her homework of course. Edward helped her too.

"You should know that I approve of Edward. I didn't know why he left you when you were younger but it seems to me that he never got over you. However, if he ever hurt you again I'll-"

"You'll break his bones," I completed. He's always on my side and wouldn't think twice to defend me if the situation calls for it.

Some people think that it's misogynistic to open doors for women. In our small town, that's how men were raised. They were shown to open doors for women. They were show to protect women. It's not because they were weak-quite the contrary. It's because we're taught to respect our mothers. Every woman-whether they're our sisters, daughters, aunts, and mothers-were going to be mothers someday.

Meanwhile, they taught us women that we need to act like it. We need to accept men's help because men were supposed to protect us. It's not that we were weak and couldn't do anything ourselves. It's because according to our biology, women were supposed to be the nurturing kind and men were supposed to be the protectors.

When I started my business, my entire family was behind me. Jacob and my dad made sure that nobody tried to cheat me on my loans. Jasper took out a veteran's loan for me as well. Eventually, I paid my loans back and managed to expand my business.

The oven timer went off. Lasagna was done. Jacob got the big pot holder ready and I put it next to spaghetti, which was right next to the rising sourdough bread from the sourdough starter Jacob was cultivating-a.k.a. his pet.

"Edward, Vanessa, lunch was ready!" I shouted at them.

We sat on the island counter. Edward sat next to Vanessa, who was across from me. I sat next to Jacob who was facing Edward.

"Uncle Edward, you should try the spaghetti. I made it with the help of mommy and Uncle Jacob, of course," Vanessa said.

"Really? Let me have some." Edward took a bite of the spaghetti. He was surprised. "This is really good."

I took a bite myself. It _was_ good. We let Vanessa experiment with cooking. She picked the ingredients and we help her by being her sous chef as it often takes her too long to prepare by herself. It was a hit or miss sometimes. Her spaghetti was a hit.

"Mom, can I attend a martial arts class?" she asked.

"No, Vanessa," I said. Not that I didn't want her to take martial arts. She had asthma so too much strenuous activity could cause her asthma to flare up.

"Mom, I promise I'll stick to it for six months," she said.

"For the last time, NO!"

She was about to start crying but she surprisingly, she held it in. The good thing about Vanessa was that she was not a spoiled brat. She often didn't try to push me into caving in. There were a few times, however, when she wanted something that she would insist on it. Taking martial arts was one of those things.

I knew she was being bullied. Being a musical child prodigy gave her a hard time fitting in with her peers.

We were silent while we eat. I was sure it was because of our conversation. Jacob had seen our disagreements more times than I could count. However, this was Edward's first time.

When we finished eating, Vanessa volunteered to wash the dishes. Jacob went to help her. Edward and I were left alone.

"Why don't you want Vanessa to do martial arts?" Edward asked.

"Aren't you her doctor? Didn't you see that she has asthma?" I retorted.

"I do. I'm also her father," he pointed out.

"How did you-"

"Besides the fact that she's musically inclined and has the same hair color as me? Not to mention that I could count? I confirmed it when Jacob told me after giving me a black eye," he said.

"Oh." Last week, Jacob, my usual "date" to any event I go to, told me that he couldn't go to my parents' wedding anniversary. That following Monday, Edward was sporting a black eye.

"I've always been jealous of Jacob. However, what he did last week, I realized that he's the better man. He even said that he'll stand as Vanessa's father until I could get my act together. You deserve to be with him. He'll take care of you better than I can," Edward said.

"Jacob and I are just friends. There are no romantic feelings between us," I said.

"Really?" There was a slight grin in his face.

"Yes."

"So, Vanessa. I don't think it's a good idea to put her on martial arts training. She has asthma," I said.

"As her father and her doctor, I say it's okay if she gradually exercises. She can't do it quickly or else she'll have asthma attack," he said.

"But her asthma-"

"They recommend swimming as a sport to people with asthma to strengthen their lungs. Martial arts is also a physical activity. She will need to learn proper breathing techniques to expand her lungs," Edward said.

Edward addressed all of my concerns regarding my daughter taking martial arts classes. He recommended some breathing specialist and a trainer who used to be a former marine to make sure that our daughter would be fit enough to do martial arts. The plan would be to gradually make Vanessa was strong enough to do martial arts. It would be a shame if I could not use my resources to help my own daughter do what she wants to do.

"So, when should we tell Vanessa that I'm her father?" Edward asked.

"I'm waiting for a good time. I don't want her to know that you're her father if you plan on leaving afterwards. I'm trying to give her a stable home," I said.

"I won't. She's my daughter so she's my responsibility. And besides, your bodyguard would likely not let me live if I ever hurt Vanessa," Edward said.

"I don't know how to tell her yet. I'll work on that. However, you need to visit her at least every weekend. You are her father after all," I told him.

Edward went home before Jacob. He hugged Vanessa, kissed her on the cheek, and promised to come back tomorrow-we're all going to church together.

Vanessa went upstairs to do her homework. As soon as she was gone, I slapped Jacob on the arm.

"Ouch!" he said.

"You didn't tell me you punched Edward!"

"He deserves it and then some. He needs to be a man and to take responsibility of his daughter," Jacob replied.

"You know, I should be mad at you right now but I won't. You mean well."

"Why would you be mad at me for telling the truth?"

"I just didn't want to disappoint Vanessa."

"You were young then and made a lot of mistakes. So had Edward. I'd like to think that all those mistakes made both of you a better person. And besides, why won't you take him back? He looked so cute with those emerald green eyes," he said.

"Jacob!" I couldn't help but smile. Jacob had a crush on Edward.

With this secret revealed, I was hoping that Edward and I could start over.

-FTP-

Closing Notes: What do you think of Jacob punching Edward? I think Edward needs to get punched for what HE did instead of what he hasn't done. Edward needs to step up to the plate. He finally confirms that he's a father and needs to take care of his daughter. Edward also didn't know that Jacob was gay so he's willing to stand by and watch as he sees Jacob take good care of Bella. After all, Jacob would've been perfect for Bella if isn't for the fact that he and Bella both like men.


	7. Chapter 7 Bella

Chapter Notes: Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! How do you like the game so far? I'm not a football fan so I decided to post a new chapter instead.

-FTP-

"So, let me get this straight. Edward knew about Vanessa and wants to spend more time with her?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes. He wants to come visit every weekend. He'd do it on weekdays too but Vanessa wants to spend a lot of time with her 'husband'," I told her.

"So Jacob is still Vanessa's favorite," she joked.

"I think so. After all, he was her 'first' husband."

"Listen, Emmett had a good friend at work-"

"No, Rosalie. The last time you tried to set me up was horrible." I could never forget Mr. Creepy...I mean Mr. Crowley. I still had a restraining order against him even though the last time I saw him was three years ago.

"Tyler was a one in a million case. I'm pretty sure this guy I would introduce you to was not a complete creep. I've actually seen your blind date a few times. I'm sure you'll get along well. Just give Mike a chance. You'll like him. I know I do but not in a romantic way," she pointed out.

"Very well then," I said. What's the harm of meeting someone new? My siblings were more than willing to introduce me to almost anyone. Not that it worked out in the past. Somewhere along the way, they tend to meet someone else or something was terribly wrong with them that I didn't want to be with them.

I agreed to meet Mike the next day. Jacob had agreed to take care of Vanessa. I did my part by putting on a red dress and doing my hair and makeup. When I got downstairs, both Edward and Jacob were there.

"You look gorgeous," Jacob said.

"You look beautiful," Edward said at the same time. That made me smile.

"Thanks," I said.

"Be back before ten," Jacob joked.

"Haha." He knew me better than that. Most of my "dates" end before nine o'clock. I had work tomorrow and I wanted to sleep by ten.

"Don't worry about Vanessa. She's in good hands," Jacob said.

"I know." I also noticed that Edward hasn't said a word besides me being beautiful. I looked at Edward and smiled. "I'll be back."

When I got there, a man with brown hair was waiting. He had mesmerizing eyes. I shook my head out of its stupor. Get yourself together, Bella. I smiled at him.

"I'm Mike," he said, holding out his hand.

"I'm Bella." I shook it.

Dinner went well. Mike seemed like the perfect man. He kept asking the right questions and he seemed like someone I would like to hang out with. And for the first time in a very long time, I felt something that I haven't felt since I first met Edward all those years ago. I promptly ended the date at nine. When I got back home, it was already nine thirty. Jacob and Edward were still up when I got back

"You're late. I take it that the date went well?" Jacob asked.

"It did. I'll tell you about it tomorrow," I told him. Edward seemed visibly miffed.

"I'm going home," Edward told me.

"Bye, Edward," I said.

As soon as Edward left, I turned to Jacob. "What's the matter with him?" I asked.

"He's obviously jealous. How did the date go?" Jacob asked.

"He's so perfect, you know? I think that he and I could hit it off," I told him.

"Add him on Facebook," he said.

"You're right." I grabbed my phone, opened my Facebook app, and searched for Mike Newton. There were a few Mike Newtons out there but his pic was at the top of the list. When I opened it, I showed Jacob the picture. "I don't think I want to be with this man."

"You shouldn't. Too many women on his profile pics and most of them seem too friendly with him. This picture in particular, he's kissing her on the lips next to a kid three days ago. Are you aware that he has a daughter? Cancel your next date."

I nodded. Mike told me that he had a daughter but he never told me that he was still romantically involved with his daughter's mother. I texted Mike and told him I had something to do and couldn't make it to our date.

"You know, you should try adding Edward. You're his daughter's mother after all," he said.

I nodded and typed Edward Cullen on the search box. I chose his picture-the one where he was hugging Alice.

"Edward also has a woman. He's hugging Alice Brandon," Jacob pointed out. Alice had become a famous architect.

"That's his adopted sister. They're actually cousins-her mother and Edward's mom were siblings," I replied. I found the picture sweet.

"Were?"

"Yes. Remember the news all those years ago about a family where everybody was killed except for a lone survivor-a daughter who was raped multiple times and was left barely alive?" I pointed out. That story was well known.

"Yes! The Brandon family. That was a tragic story. The daughter was barely a teen at the time. Don't tell me the kid was Alice."

I nodded. "She is. She was in a coma for a couple of weeks. When she woke up, she was so traumatized that she didn't want to be around people except for his Aunt Esme, Uncle Carlisle, and Edward.

"When I met Alice, I was fifteen at the time. Although she and I were the same age, she still couldn't get out of the house unless her aunt's family would reassure her that everything would be okay. Usually it meant that she was hugging her to calm her down like what Edward was doing. I wanted to bring her to my house but she tend to act out whenever she was with strangers. She and you would've gotten along really well. Edward's parents tried to get her to counseling. She was in therapy every Monday and Wednesday for a couple of years when we met."

Looking at the pictures, it seemed like Alice had improved a lot. She was able to be with other people without having any member of the Cullen family next to her. It would be impossible to get that photo back when we first met.

"You should add Alice and Edward as friends then," Jacob said.

"You know, I will." And I did.

The next day, Rosalie came into my office and asked how the date went.

"The date went okay. Until I decided to add him on Facebook after the date. That's when I discovered that he has a girlfriend and a kid," I said.

"No way."

"You suck at matchmaking!" I joked.

Hopefully, this mishap would cause her and the rest of my siblings to reevaluate about sending me on another date.

I looked at my phone, and found that I had a notification that Alice Brandon had accepted my friend request. I smiled. I'm glad that Alice still considered me as a friend. Maybe I would discover what happened all those years ago when she left me a frantic voice mail asking for help. I wasn't able to receive Alice's phone call as I was sleeping at the time. When I tried to return the phone call the next day, it was her who wasn't answering my phone call. That was the last time both she and Edward had been in my life.

-FTP-

Closing Notes: What do you think? I hope this answers the question of whether Edward ever cheated on Bella. Alice had a tragic life story and was struggling with PTSD when Bella met her. It took her years of therapy to be able to get out in public. Edward was only trying to help her get out of her shell when Rosalie, Jasper, and Tanya thought that they "caught" Edward cheating on Bella.

Why was Bella not with her siblings? She was feeling sick and decided to rest instead. She didn't know that she was pregnant with Vanessa at the time.


	8. Chapter 8 Bella

A/N: Hello, everyone! Happy Valentine's day. As for me, I'll be spending Valentine's day watching Netflix. The draw back of being in a long distance relationship.

-FTP-

Alice and I spent the week catching up on Facebook. Despite our busy schedules, she and I had managed to send messages to each other. Since we managed to be on the same vicinity tomorrow, we agreed to have lunch at an Italian family restaurant.

The fact that Alice could be on her own was a pleasant surprise. Ten years ago, she couldn't even go outside of the house without some prodding. These days, she was constantly traveling on her own.

When Alice and I met, I couldn't help but cry as I rushed to give her a hug. She was tearing up as well.

"Bella!"

"Alice!"

We found ourselves crying in each other's arms. It's been a long time since I've last seen my friend.

I ordered ravioli while Alice ordered lasagna. For the first ten minutes, neither of us spoke. I decided to break the ice.

"How have you been, Alice? The last time I heard from you, you were frantically crying for help," I asked.

Alice's eyes began to water. "You know what happened then, Bella?"

I shook my head.

"Someone beat Edward up. He broke his left arm in several different places. He also had his right leg broken. It took him two months before the bones were completely healed," Alice said.

"Is that why he's not a concert pianist?" When Edward and I were first together, he was on his way to becoming a concert pianist. He was accepted to Julliard.

"Yes. He missed the audition. When he was finally able to play, his ability to play diminished-he lost some of his skills. He ended up having to change majors because he was no longer able to compete in a competitive level. That's when Edward decided to become a doctor," Alice explained.

"And how did you become an architect?" I asked.

"You know how I always liked to draw houses?"

"Of course."

"Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle brought Edward and I to Los Angeles because they had better hospitals over there. Aunt Esme and I came with Edward on days he had to go to therapy. She was always sitting beside me while we waited for Edward. I drew houses to pass time. Eventually, someone saw what I was doing and told me to join a contest. I won, of course. That led me to interning to an architectural firm. As they say, the rest was history," Alice said.

"Weren't you nervous?" I asked.

She nodded. "Aunt Esme made me defer that internship for six months. That was when she and Edward helped me to go to the public. We started outside of the house, of course. Everyday, Aunt Esme helped me by helping me move away farther and farther from the house and from her. Eventually, I was able to overcome my fear and I'm able to live a functional life. I eventually graduated architecture from USC," she said.

"I'm glad that everything worked out for you." I was so proud of her. She had come a long way.

We sat for a few minutes in silence. I processed our conversation in my head while I ate my food.

"Oh! Did you know that Edward looked for you once he's healed?"

"Really?" This was a surprise to me.

Alice nodded. "By then you already moved. He tried to look for you in Seattle but he saw that you already had a daughter and that you had a boyfriend."

"Huh?" That was strange. I never had a boyfriend other than Edward. Unless you count Jacob. However, Jacob and I were just friends even though everybody thought that we're dating. Oh my goodness! "You mean Jacob?"

"I don't know. Edward said you look content. He didn't want to ruin your happiness so he stayed away," Alice said. "You know, Edward did try dating other people but none of them lasted. I know that he still carries the torch for you and he hasn't gotten over you."

"I didn't know that," I said. My eyes felt a little watery as I felt a twinge of pain in my heart.

Alice and I went to a toy store after that. It had been overdue for me as Vanessa don't really like toys. She liked musical instruments and puzzles more than Barbie dolls.

"Edward told me you two had a daughter. What does my niece want?"

"Edward told you that already?" He and I would need to have a chat on how to slowly introduce his family to our daughter.

"Of course. He told everyone. He was quite excited," Alice said as she looked at knitting and weaving toys for Vanessa. "You know, Edward was looking forward to marrying you back when you were still together."

I nodded as I remembered the days when Edward and I were talking about marriage. It seemed so long ago. Along the way, we had a daughter and both of us had established our successful careers. Yet, the marriage seemed impossible now.

I helped Alice pick toys for my daughter. We settled on the beads. At first, she wanted to buy Barbie. However, I knew my daughter. She hated playing with dolls.

"You should go to brunch with us if you had the time. Aunt Esme was looking forward to being with you and meeting my niece."

I nodded. "It's still on Sundays, right?"

"Yes."

Alice and I exchanged information. We agreed to meet the family after church this Sunday. However, I told her that Vanessa hadn't learned who her father was so they need to tone down their affection. Alice reluctantly agreed.

It would be good for Vanessa to meet her other set of grandparents. However, I'm not sure how to bring up the subject to my daughter.

-FTP-

So, what do you think of Alice? She basically filled in the gaps of what happened when Jasper beat up Edward. Edward was a promising pianist but ever since he broke his arm, it would be hard for him to play the piano in a competitive level so he became a surgeon instead. I'm still debating whether or not the storytelling for the next chapter is going to be told in Bella's perspective or not.


	9. Chapter 9 Edward

A/N: Good morning, everyone! How are you? It's raining here in LA. It wasn't as bad as Friday's rain but we Angelenos had learned how to drive in the rain these past few months.

-FTP-

"Uncle Edward, do you think your mom would like this?" Vanessa asked. She was carrying the red velvet cake she baked yesterday. Bella and Jacob tried to help her but she insisted on doing it on her own. She wanted to make a good impression on my parents.

"I'm sure she'll like it just fine," I said. It's true. My mother had eaten all of the Mother's Day food I tried to cook her over the years. She would act like she liked it but as I took a bite on them, I would realize they're too salty or too sweet. When I have met my daughter, I realized that it's because she loved me and she would eat whatever I prepared for her. Even the most salty food would taste good because it was made with love.

Bella was a little bit more hesitant which was more understandable. She was afraid that mom would be disappointed on her for having a kid out of wedlock at age 18. That was a big no because of how we were raised.

I came to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "It will be okay." Jacob would've comforted her better than I would. I couldn't reassure her as much as he could.

She smiled. "Thank you, Edward."

I was glad that she was here. During the time when we were apart, I always thought of her. I always wondered how she had been. Whether she was happy with Jacob. When she told me that she wasn't with Jacob, I found hope. Maybe, just maybe, I had a chance.

I was willing to live my life without her if she was happy. I wouldn't even look her up on Facebook. I told myself that she was happy without me and she didn't need me to disturb her life. I was surprised when I had become my daughter's doctor. It didn't take me long to realize that she was my daughter after seeing her birth date.

I could see the tension on Bella's shoulder. She stood right next to my daughter who rang the doorbell. My mother answered the door.

"Bella!" Esme hugged her and her shoulder immediately relaxed. My mom then immediately looked at my daughter. "This must be Vanessa. It's so nice to meet you." My mother shook her hand.

The scene made me smile. The last time Bella and I had seen each other, we were happy. When Jasper beat me up, I told my mother that someone was just jealous of me because of Bella that he beat me up when he saw me with Alice. I didn't want to tell her that it's Bella's brother that beat me up. I didn't want her to stop me from being with Bella.

"Mom, do you want me to help?" I asked.

Mom shook her head and smiled. "It's a joy to be with my family. You guys do what you want to do."

"Can I help you, Mrs. Cullen?" Vanessa asked.

"That's grandma to you. And yes you can help me," my mother said. She grabbed my daughter's hand and they went to the kitchen.

Bella and I smiled. "Well, that went well."

Alice dragged Bella with her. I went to my piano and played a few songs. While my skill wasn't as good as it used to be, I could still play some love songs. I chose "Only Hope"-one of the songs from the movie _A Walk to Remember_. It used to be Bella's favorite movie. She and I used to watch it frequently.

The movie reminded me of the time when Bella and I were living a simple life. It seemed so long ago but I remembered that time fondly. Back then, Bella and I didn't know what will happen to us. We were so happy.

Now, I could only wish to go back to that time when Bella and I were together. I belted out the song. The song that made me think of Bella.

When I was very young, mom didn't want us to help with the kitchen on Sundays. She would always tell us to enjoy ourselves and do what we want. Now that I'm older, I realized that mom found joy in cooking for her family.

Alice liked helping in the kitchen too except that today, Bella was here. They used to be best friends. It would do them good to spend some time together.

"I love you Bella," I thought to myself. We both have endured so much.

"Edward, do you have a second?" Dad asked. I was so focused into my playing that I didn't even realize that he had come into the living room next to my piano.

He and I went to his study. He had his chess set out.

"Would you like to indulge your old man with a game of chess?" he asked.

I nodded and took the white pieces. He normally plays with Alice but she was quite occupied with our guest. I moved a pawn three spaces forward.

"We never really talked about the recent development in your life. How are you handling it?" my dad said.

"I like it. I have a daughter. Vanessa's great."

My dad and I finished three games of chess. He won two out of three.

"Let's face it. Alice is a better opponent than me," I joked.

He laughed. "Your cousin is very sneaky. I was protecting my king by having the queen and the bishop protect it but before I knew it, she'd say 'check mate'. You know, you can always come to me if you need help. You can talk to me about anything."

"I don't know how to raise a child," I admitted.

"Remember when we took Alice in?" he asked.

"It was the worst time of our lives," I said. And it was. Tragedy struck our family. Mom was preparing for the funeral of her sister's entire family except for Alice. Meanwhile, we didn't know whether or not Alice would wake up.

"Then, Alice woke up. We didn't always know what we were doing but we did our best. Whatever we do, we did out of love. Remember when we moved away from Forks and moved to LA after you were beaten up?"

I nodded. "That's a tad too much."

"Your mom and I didn't know what we were doing. Alice was being hysterical and we did what we can to give you your best chance of becoming a concert pianist," he said.

"I know. But it didn't work. My hand no longer functions the way it needs to function in order to become a concert pianist," I told him.

"Looking back, maybe we should've let you said goodbye to Bella. We shouldn't have pulled you out of school quickly. Then you and Bella could've gotten married and raised Vanessa," he said.

He continued, "My point is that you'll make some mistakes. Some would have lasting consequences. You're not always going to make the right decision. But do your best to raise your daughter with love and pray to God to guide her along the way. My situation with Alice is a little bit different from yours. Alice had always been a part of this family. You learned about your daughter a few months ago. Alice is dealing with PTSD. Vanessa is a child prodigy. Nevertheless, you have a daughter that needs her father to love her."

In that moment, I heard something dropped. We turned toward the door and saw Vanessa who was backing away from the door. She turned around and ran.

I looked at my father. "Excuse me."

I did my best to catch up to her. I noticed that a trophy of mine had fallen right next to Alice's awards.

"What happened?"

I turned around and saw Bella coming toward me. "Vanessa overheard dad and I talk about her being my daughter."

"Oh God! This was all my fault," Bella said. She looked like she was about to cry.

I shook my head. "There's no reason to cry over what had already happened," I said.

We found Vanessa outside crying.

"I'll talk to her," Bella said.

I shook my head. "We need to talk to her."

Bella and I approached her. She just kept crying and didn't say anything.

"Mom, can I go to Uncle Jacob's place?" Vanessa asked.

"Of course," she said.

Bella called Jacob and explained what happened. Within 30 minutes, Jacob was there. He hugged Bella and kissed her on the cheeks.

Vanessa hugged Jacob. She went with him and they left on his car. When things had settled down, it was Alice that broke the eyes.

"What was that about?" she asked.

We explained what happened. Everyone was quiet when we eat our food. It took me a whole meal to muster up the courage to talk to Bella.

"We need to talk," I said.

"Okay," Bella answered.

I led her to our backyard. It wasn't big but I hope that my family would respect our desire to need to talk privately.

"Why did Vanessa call Jacob?" I asked.

"There was a time when Vanessa started asking for his dad. She was seven. Every single one of my family agreed to tell her that her father died. Jacob took a different approach and told her that her father left before knowing that she exists. He said that there will come a time when she and her dad would cross paths. When that happened, he said to forgive her father and live a good life."

"Jacob told her that?"

Bella nodded. "Of course, he was mad when you disappeared but there was no way he would take your place. As a result, Vanessa didn't know what to do that she ran away. She didn't get very far. When we eventually find her, Jacob was the only person she would go to. That's when Jacob told her that if she ever find herself not knowing what to do, to call him instead. He would give her the space she needed to think."

Wow. "Jacob was such a good man. I always thought that he carries a torch for you. I remember when we were together, I said to myself that if I lose you to him, I would be heartbroken but I know that you'll be taken cared of."

Now that made Bella laugh. "Jacob and I are best friends but having him as a boyfriend didn't cross our minds. Give Vanessa a few hours. Jacob has done his job well as her godfather."

Bella and I stood in silence for a few minutes. I hoped that I could make things right, one day at a time. Bella and I stood next to each other. I tried touching my thumb with hers. When they made contact, she grabbed my hand.

"I had never forgotten about you. I thought about you the entire time," I said.

"Neither have I," she said.

We held each other's hand in silence. I knew that we had a lot to take care of but we could do it as long as we were together.

-FTP-

What do you think about Edward? He had always loved Bella. However, he dated other people when he had let Bella go. He believed that Bella would be happy that way. So, it turned out that Carlisle and Esme had to bring Edward and Alice to where they have the best doctors as both of them were dealing with different issues at that time.

Vanessa is dealing with some issues herself. She went with Jacob because he was the only person that doesn't treat her like a child. He'll tell it to her as it is-being honest while explaining things in a way that she would understand. He's a cross between that very cool uncle and a father figure. Vanessa knows she can rely on him.


	10. Chapter 10 Jacob

A/N: Hello, everyone! Sory for the late update. Real life happened. Meanwhile, Lent starts tomorrow. I'm still trying to decide what I should give up tomorrow but I haven't come up with what I should give up or do. Maybe I should give up food? Just kidding. I'll probably have to give up dairy as I have a strange allergic reaction to it even though I love it. I'll see.

-FTP-

"Uncle Jacob, do you think Daddy loves me?" Vanessa asked.

"Of course. Why did you ask?"

"Because Mommy and Daddy didn't tell me," she explained.

In that moment, I wanted to bump Bella and Edward's head together. Their desire to make things go smoothly for Vanessa actually caused her more pain. "Vanessa, they were planning to tell you. They just haven't figured out how," I admitted.

"It doesn't feel that way," she said.

"I know. Things often don't work out the way we wanted. Would you like to go to the arcade?" I needed to distract Vanessa even if it was just for a few hours. She would process things better if she would get a break from thinking about what happened. It would also help me deal with Bella and Edward who obviously hadn't gotten their act together. I was so angry I could smack both of them in the head.

Vanessa and I went to Chuck E. Cheese. She and I played basketball together and she beat me by a lot.

"I could see your practice had been paying off," I said.

"I know, Uncle Jacob," she said with a smile.

We did other physical games. She needed it as much as I do. Then, it was time to go home. I needed to have a chat with Bella and Edward about what they wanted to do. I have held my tongue to let them take care of this on their own. Not anymore. I needed to do this for Vanessa.

Bella and Edward were waiting when we got home. They were holding hands. Vanessa held on to me. She obviously didn't want to deal with her parents yet. I led all of us in the house. Once Vanessa was inside, I turned to Edward and Bella.

"Can we talk outside?" I asked.

"Sure," Bella said with hesitation.

I just stared at Edward who didn't seem to know what to do with his handsome self. I shook my head and reminded myself that I needed to focus on the issue at hand. Vanessa discovering who her father was when she was admiring the trophies.

"Bella, how did you not manage to tell Vanessa that Edward was her father? You had two months," I vented.

"I was waiting for the right time," she said. I was sure she felt bad but it still didn't excuse the fact that her inaction had caused more harm than good.

"The right time happened today. Your daughter is heartbroken because it didn't come from both of your mouths," I explained. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. For two smart people, it seemed that their brains were on vacation these past few days. "Can I give you both an advice?"

"Go ahead," Edward said. He seemed to be more protective of Bella than usual.

"Vanessa is a very smart person. She's a lot less fragile than you believe. She inherited that from both of you. Give her a little credit. Be honest with her and try to explain things to her in an age appropriate way. She loves both of you. However, she didn't know how to deal with her feelings right now. That's why I'm asking for both of your permission to spend the night here," I said.

"But Jacob-" Edward was about to say something but Bella shook her head.

"Go ahead, Jacob. I'll pick her up early for school tomorrow," she said.

"Meanwhile, you two work on what you should tell her. I'm pretty sure you family have a lot to talk about. She needs rest. You two need to get your act together. You can't put it off," I said.

"I know, Jacob," Bella said. Then, she hugged me as tears fell from her eyes. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Edward seemed to be uncomfortable with the whole exchange.

"Everything will be alright. See you later," I said.

I let go of Bella, then I shook Edward's hand, and then they were gone. I went back inside to check on Vanessa. She was playing the piano. Beautiful music came out of the instrument. While I had studied the piano growing up, I was never as good as my goddaughter.

I decided to heat up some lasagna in the oven from yesterday. It was Vanessa's comfort food and she needs a lot of comforting right now. I was sure that she would be okay by tonight. However, Bella and Edward had a lot to discuss. When Bella had first found out that she was pregnant, I urged her to continue the pregnancy. It was not the innocent child's fault that her father left. Whether or not she should keep the baby was her decision.

Bella didn't want to keep the baby at first. Her mother had found an adoption agency for her future grandchild. However, the moment she held Vanessa in her arms, she decided that she wanted to keep her. When she made me Vanessa's godfather, I vowed to stand as her child's father until Bella could have a father for her. In this case, it seemed that it would be Vanessa's actual father coming back into the picture.

Originally, I wanted to be a priest. However, I realized that I was attracted to men so I couldn't be in the seminary. Having Bella and Vanessa in my life gave me a purpose. I realized that taking care of them, I wanted to have a family of my own-having wife and children. Yet it seemed that it was a desire of my heart that couldn't be granted.

The timer rang so I called Vanessa to eat dinner. She seemed to be quieter than usual. That's when I saw her new shirt.

"Pretty cool shirt. Where did you get it?" I asked.

"This? Aunt Alice gave it to me. She's Uncle Edward's cousin so I guess she's my aunt," Vanessa stated. She went silent after that.

"So, what is she like?"

"You've never met Aunt Alice? Mom said you two had known each other since she was in the womb," Vanessa pointed out.

"That might be true but she never introduced any of Edward's family members to us," I told her.

"Why is that?"

"Well, it's because it's too soon. When you introduce your boyfriend's family members to us, we would have to develop a relationship with them. If you two broke up, your family basically break up with the rest of their family too. That's why we met your Uncle Emmett's side of the family a few weeks before they got married," I explained.

"So Mommy never introduced Aunt Alice to anyone?" she asked.

"That's right."

"Oh!"

Vanessa talked about how the day went by. I noticed that she skipped the part of her finding out about her dad. I didn't push her. She'll talk when she's ready.

That evening, I read her a story. She was getting so big to the point that she won't like listening to my stories anymore. I'm going to miss this. I helped her say her prayers before tucking her to bed and kissing her on the forehead.

"Uncle Jacob, can you still be my dad even though Uncle Edward is my real dad?" she asked.

I smiled. "Of course. I'm your godfather after all."

"I love you, Uncle Jacob!"

"I love you, too, Vanessa!" I would always love her like my first born. If only God would grant my prayers and give me a family of my own.

-FTP-

Closing Notes:

What do you think of Jacob? He's a very religious man and was quite masculine. He's striving to be perfect. He's living his faith the best way he knows how and sees his attraction to men as a cross to bear. He knows he can't be a priest as seminary is full of men who wants to be priests-it's like being in a candy store for someone abstaining from sweets. Meanwhile, taking care of Vanessa and Bella makes him realize that he wants to have a family to take care of. He enjoys taking care of Bella and Vanessa but he knows that they're not for him to take care of forever. He's a protector at heart. Do you believe that Jacob deserves his happy ending?


	11. Chapter 11 Bella

A/N: Hello, everyone! How are you? I'm trying to post this earlier but it didn't work out as planned. Anyway, I ended up trying to sleep early for Lent. It was hard but Lent was supposed to be the time you train yourself to be a better person, right?

-FTP-

I came to Jacob's house early to pick up Vanessa. I had her backpack and a change of clothes. The moment I got there, Vanessa opened the door and gave me a hug.

"I'm sorry for acting out, Mom!" she said.

"We have a lot to talk about," I agreed. Then I smelled bacon and fried eggs.

"Breakfast?" Jacob asked.

"Sure," I answered.

Vanessa, Jacob, and I ate breakfast. I had a couple of pancakes, two pieces of bacon, and a fried egg. Vanessa contented herself with two fried eggs and five pancakes. Jacob ate five pancakes, three pieces of bacon and one fried egg.

"Vanessa, isn't it a bit too much?" I pointed out.

"What about Uncle Jacob?" she retorted.

"Uncle Jacob is a huge man," I answered.

"Well, I want to grow as big as Uncle Jacob," she said.

I looked at Jacob and shook my head. He mouthed "sorry" to me. I would have to show Vanessa how to eat healthy because if she keeps her eating habits, she's going to regret it when she's in her forties.

Vanessa hurried to get ready. It takes her a while so I used that time to talk to my best friend.

"How was she?" I asked.

"Honestly? She's just in shock. I'm sure she'll be fine," Jacob said.

Everybody overreacted yesterday. We were so confused with what to do so we were all on our fight-or-flight mode. Today, we were all calmer and had a better idea of what to do.

"I hope so," I said.

"Remember when I asked you what you'll do if Edward comes back to your life?"

It made me chuckle. "I told you that I would slap him in the face and tell him that he has a daughter. I didn't know it would happen," I said.

Jacob laughed too. "Now that he's back in your life, what do you want?"

"I want him to be there for Vanessa. I don't care about me so much but Vanessa needs to have a relationship with her father. Edward and I need to work out the details now that Vanessa knows that she's his daughter. Other than that, I really don't know how to deal with it," I admitted.

"You know that a lot of people wanted to have the problem that you have, right?" he pointed out.

It was true. Most women wanted their children to have a relationship with their fathers who left when the children was born. My problem was the opposite. We were trying to figure out how to incorporate my child's father in her life AFTER he found out that he had a child.

"You're right, Jacob," I said.

"I'll do my best to help you and Edward," he said.

"Thank you for everything, Jacob."

"Anything for you and green eyes," he said.

After bringing Vanessa to school, I did my best to do my work. Not that it was helping. My mind was at my upcoming lunch date with my ex/present boyfriend.

When it was noontime, I dashed straight to the restroom and did my best to put on makeup. I then left for La Bella Italia where Edward had a reservation for two. We ordered mushroom ravioli-what we ate on our first date. It wasn't really our favorite food but it was the first main dish on the menu.

In that moment, I had a lot of questions to ask but I didn't know where to start. I was sure he was feeling the same thing.

"So, can you tell me about your life?" Edward asked.

"Well, we had a daughter but you already knew that part. I also own my own business."

"Oh yeah! I didn't know you own Swan Song Jewelry. Alice was crazy for those things," he said.

"That's awesome! I design that line myself," I said.

Swan Song Jewelry was only one line of many in my fashion empire. There were several others-accessories, clothes, shoes-that belong to my company. My two siblings were running several lines. Jacob ran part of them too. They knew what I want in terms of quality but they design the line themselves.

"How did you get into the fashion business?" he asked.

"I needed to have a job to take care of Vanessa. However, I didn't have the education to do a lot of things. That's when I decided to make jewelry and sell them. I started selling some of them online. I sold a few of them first. Then, there were an increased demand. I needed a loan to expand. I didn't have good credit then-I was living in credit and I couldn't hold a job for very long since I couldn't find a good babysitter for Vanessa on such short notice. I was afraid to ask for help. Finally, I realized that I couldn't do it on my own.

"When I told my family about my plan, they got behind me. Jasper took out a veteran's loan for me. Dad and Jacob also opened a credit line so that I could borrow money when I was short. I used the veteran's loan first. I ended up repaying my loan to Jasper after a year and gave him some profit. Whenever I was short, I used Dad's and Jacob's credit line and made sure that I paid it back as soon as I had the money. I eventually got my own credit line and had created what was now my business," I said.

"I was so glad you had gotten successful in terms of your business," he said.

I smiled. "I know. I had help. When I was taking off, I offered my dad a position but he likes his job. I gave the same opportunity to Jacob. He's in charge of the male line. He's doing well. I know how to be grateful, you know."

I asked him how he ended up becoming a doctor. He told me a few words here and there but Alice gave me more details about Edward's life than he did. I understood. There were some things he didn't want to tell me because he was either embarrassed or was afraid that I would get hurt. We would have more time to talk about them at a later date.

We talked about our present after that. I asked him about his work at the hospital. He talked to me about my sisters. It was a good lunch. I liked the company.

We decided to take a stroll. That was when we saw Emmett and Rosalie. Rosalie's hair is a little disheveled and Emmett seemed to be grinning from ear to ear.

I hugged my sister and my brother-in-law.

"I didn't know you'll be here," I said to Rosalie.

Rosalie and Emmett looked at each other and laughed. "Lunch time is a romantic alone time when you have more than two kids. We still want to spend some alone time without the kids," Rosalie answered.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett asked.

"I'm glad you asked. Bella and I just went on a date," Edward answered.

"So you two are back together?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"Bella, Edward, nice to see you two. We should go on double dates soon and have Tanya babysit," Emmett joked.

Everyone except Edward laughed. Emmett's kids liked to play a prank on Tanya much to her annoyance.

"I think it's better to have mom and dad babysit," I pointed out. I cringed at the thought of the kids being asked to kneel for two hours on the floor.

"Good idea. See you at the office, Bella!" Rosalie said.

Emmett and Rosalie left leaving me and Edward alone. I realized the time.

"Edward, it's already 1:30! You said you had to be back in the office by two," I pointed out.

"You're right. I have a surgery in two hours! I need to prep," he said.

Edward walked me to my car. He kissed me on the lips and left. I drove back to the office where Tanya and Rosalie were ready to grill me.

-FTP-

Closing notes: How would you handle getting back with your ex? Bella and Edward had a long road ahead of them. Although they got back together, they start by going on a lunch date and getting to know each other again. Ten years is a long time. A lot of things had happened that the other wasn't aware of-a lot of which had created a huge impact in each other's lives. They're taking things slow.

As for Vanessa, Jacob had been there before she was born. In an essence, he protected her by being supportive of Bella along the way. Remember, Bella was a teen and didn't know what to do. Having Jacob and her family helped her make good decisions. In an essence, he had been Vanessa's father since before she was born. Edward, through no fault of his own, wasn't aware of her existence. He's getting a crash course on how to take care of his own child. All of my characters-Bella, Edward, and Jacob-they had been trying to do their best but are falling short.


	12. Chapter 12 Tanya

A/N: Good evening, everyone! How are you doing? It's quite hectic in the office as we're trying to beat the deadline. We have 2 days. Thankfully, we can manage our stress in the office. Wish us luck!

-FTP-

Chapter 12: Tanya

"So, you mean to tell me, Edward and Bella got back together?" Jasper asked. He was in a three-way call with me and Rosalie.

"Yes," Rosalie answered.

"What happened with the people you're trying to match Bella with?" Jasper asked.

"Seth and Kate are actually dating. Mike, on the other hand, is a lot worse than Edward," Rosalie answered. When Bella did the Facebook search, we later found out that Mike had children with different women and was behind child support. Needless to say, Emmett was not happy about it. They're still civil as they still have to work together. Whatever Mike's character issues, it still doesn't erase the fact that he was a good lawyer.

"What about your end?" I asked. He was talking about his friend who was supposed to go on leave.

"James already got back here. He said Bella was doing well and that he likes my sister," he said.

"James? James was the one you wanted to set up with Bella?" I asked. Bella and James had gotten along but Bella wasn't James' type and vice versa.

"Of course. Who else would I entrust my sister with?"

"I love that you're trying to hook James up with Bella. Have you ever considered that Bella's personality was too strong for James? Emmett would be a better match for her and you know Emmett treats Bella like his baby sister," Rosalie said referring to her husband.

"James' personality isn't too strong. He's average," Jasper argued.

"Then your definition of strong personality and mine are too different," Rosalie said.

"I need to go. Kate and Seth invited me for a game night," I said.

"Okay. Bye, Tanya!" Rosalie and Jasper said.

Kate lived upstairs. At one time, she offered to live with me but it didn't work out. She worked the night shift and comes and goes when I was already asleep. I needed to work early in the morning. In addition, our habits don't match. She was a slob and I was a neat freak. There were plenty of times when we fight because of her mess. We're family so we have no choice but to love each other but living together was not an option. As soon as the room upstairs got vacant, she moved in. We still go out and eat at each other's houses at least once a week but our lives had gotten happier and a lot more peaceful now that we don't live with each other. Now that I thought about it, I should've introduced her to Seth earlier but Seth also had a similar schedule with mine.

Today was Kate's day off. That's the only way for us to hang out. She's like my sister so hanging out with her was always awesome. Seth was already there when I came in.

"So, what are we playing today?" I asked.

"Seth agreed for us to do Twisters," Kate said.

I laughed. Seth had gotten more flexible. I guess his Pilates classes were paying off even if I had given him a grief for coming to Pilates with me every now and then. He does yoga too. He's open to doing exercises even if they were deemed to be the "girly" ones. He said that he had a lot to learn from women. The feeling was mutual. I had a lot to learn from him.

Kate actually won Twisters. It wasn't unusual. She was a gymnast after all. She still practices before she goes to work.

"You should bring James here," Kate said.

I cringed. "He's in Afghanistan," I said.

"I didn't know that," she said.

"He's one of Jasper's brother-in-arms," I said.

"You mean your super bossy brother?" Seth asked.

I nodded. "He's the one."

"Actually, the military made Jasper worse. He wasn't like that when he started," Kate explained.

"Well, maybe some other time then," Seth said.

We played some more twisters. Eventually, it got quite late and we needed our beauty rest. Kate kicked Seth and I out of her apartment. I got ready for bed and slept well that night. That morning, I realized that my phone had three Facebook missed calls from James. I sighed. Typical long distance relationship problems. Because of the time difference, one of you is sleeping while the other was wide awake.

I called him back hoping that he was still awake.

"Good morning, beautiful!" James said.

"Good morning to you too," I answered. I wasn't used to receiving a kind treatment from men. Over the years, men had avoided me like plague. Even though people had complimented me for my beauty, most men were turned off because I don't put out. Over the years, I had several boyfriends, none of them I've slept with. I was now thirty-five years old. James was different. He was kind and protective at the same time. The only drawback was that he's gone most of the time.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I just woke up and saw your missed call. Here we are. How was your day?" I asked.

"Jasper and I had to clean the breakroom."

"Why?" I asked.

"We have nothing to do so our commanding officer ordered us to clean the breakroom," he explained.

I sighed. In reality, I was a slob. I hated anything that had to do with soap and bucket.

"It's not-so-fun day now, is it?" I didn't know about him but everytime I would rather have root canal than clean my apartment.

He laughed. "Actually, it was. You'll be surprised at how some of my brothers managed to create shortcuts while still following the regulation."

"I didn't think about that," I said.

"It's just the nature of the job. In a few months when I get back, I'll tell you all about it. By the way, how's Bella? Jasper was asking me about her but the last time I talked to her was when I visited your family," he said.

"Bella went back with her ex."

"Oh no! Jasper told me that her ex is a piece of work. He cheated on her."

"I know! I was there. We were having our sibling night out when we saw Edward with his arm around a girl. He called her Alice," I told him.

"He just had his arms around a girl? Is it possible that she was his sister?"

I shook my head. "Edward is the only living child. I asked Bella if he had brothers and sisters but she said that his mother miscarried several times and that Edward was the only one carried to full term."

"Where was Bella when that happened?" James asked.

"She was sick. Now that I think about it, she's probably experiencing morning sickness."

"Did Bella ever found out?"

"No," I said.

"I don't want to interfere with your family dynamics but would it be okay if I tell you my opinion?"

"Go ahead..."

"It happened eleven years ago and we were different from the people we were back then. Would it be okay to give Edward the benefit of doubt? Just make sure that he treats Bella and his daughter right. If you catch him doing something that will hurt your sister, then peacefully confront Edward and tell Bella. She's a strong woman. She can handle it," he said.

I didn't think about it that way. James is right. I think I'll follow his advice.

"You're right," I said.

We talked for a few more minutes. Eventually it was time for him to let him sleep.

I decided that I wanted to go visit home back at Forks. My siblings and I try to visit our parents at Forks whenever we feel like it. In my case, it happens every two months. While mom and dad had a home at Port Angeles, mom and dad spend the majority of their time in Forks. That's our hometown. Mom and dad's extended families still live there. Besides, dad isn't retired yet. When I got home, I was surprised to find Bella, Edward, Jacob, and Vanessa in the living room.

"Tanya!" Bella exclaimed. She came toward me and hugged me. "Vanessa, greet your aunt!"

Vanessa came and gave me the warm welcome.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"We're watching The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe," Vanessa answered.

Ah! So it's Chronicles of Narnia time. I loved that children's classic. It's one of the book that mom and dad used to read to us when we were younger. The other book series was Lord of the Rings. I sat next to Vanessa. When we were finished, Vanessa had so many questions.

"It was interesting. I mean, Aslan woke up after being killed? Why did they let Edward be king even though he fell for the Witch's tricks?" Vanessa asked.

"Vanessa, Chronicles of Narnia is an allegory of the Bible. Edward represents all of us who sin. He's been forgiven and taken his rightful place as the son of Adam. Aslan represents Jesus Christ," Jacob answered.

Vanessa had a lot of questions about Chronicles of Narnia. She said it was much better than her first communion class. She said that her first communion class is very boring and asked if Jacob could come over and teach at one time. While Jacob does his godfather duties, I decided that I would have to talk to Bella and to tell her that I support her. I cannot speak for Rosalie and Jasper but I need to support her.

"Bella, can we talk alone?" I asked.

Bella nodded. I led her in the car. It was the only way we can have a decent private conversation. Having a big family does have a down side.

"What do you want to talk about?" Bella started.

"I wanted you to know that I don't approve of Edward because he had hurt you before. However, for your happiness and Vanessa's, I'll support you. If he ever hurts you again, I'll kill him and bury his body," I said. I was only half joking with the threat but it was enough to make Bella laugh.

"I'm glad I have your support. If only Rosalie and Jasper would support me," she said. Tears were forming in her eyes but there was a smile on her face.

I didn't know that I would bring so much happiness in her. I decided that James was right. I was thankful I had a man like him. Bella and I talked about other things. While I was frustrated that she didn't choose Jacob, I was glad that she was happy.

That dinner, Mom had prepared fish fry brought by Jacob's stepmother Sue. Sue and Jacob's dad still live in Forks. They were good friends with my parents.

Vanessa wouldn't stop talking about Edward's family. "...and Aunt Alice likes to buy me stuffed toys. I don't really like stuffed toys but it made her so happy so I just do what I can to keep it and take good care of it," she said.

"Aunt Alice? Aren't you an only child?" I asked Edward.

"Yes but Aunt Alice is his cousin. They live with him and grandma and grandpa. Mom spends more time with Aunt Alice than with dad. She and I were the same height and she's also very thin," Vanessa explained.

Oh no! I was beginning to think that Alice was the one we mistook to be Edward's side chick. I needed to figure out a way to confirm it. But what would I do if I confirmed the truth and she turned out to be the one who we thought was his side chick?

-FTP-

What do you think of Tanya turning a new leaf? James is actually a good guy on this story. As you know, Jasper tried to match Bella and James but there's no spark between them. Meanwhile, James and Tanya are talking and seem to be getting serious. How do you feel about James and Tanya dating?

Sue and Jacob's dad lost their respective spouses before they started dating. Jacob treats Sue like his mom.


	13. Chapter 13 Jacob

Hello, everyone! How are you? I've had quite a busy week. Tax deadline is almost here so everyone is procrastinating in order to do their taxes. On top of that, I joined Scentsy. I figured that since I like the product and I'm trying to learn how to sell, it's a good way to lose some money. I'm creating the worst case scenarios when it comes to my business since that's the likely scenario I will encounter and planning a way to counter it. Any good advice?

-FTP-

"So, you think Tanya is dating someone?" Bella asked.

"I don't know. Why would you assume that?" I retorted.

"She seems happier. She's not as cranky."

"Ask her then. After all, she is your sister."

"Very well then. I'll ask her. Would you like to go with Edward and I for an outing? We're bringing Vanessa and Alice, of course," Bella said.

"You're supposed to be going on a date with just the two of you," I pointed out.

"I know. But if Edward and I are left alone, Vanessa might end up having a sibling before we're married. We learned our lesson."

I sighed. While I agree with Bella's decision, it can be quite inconvenient. Nevertheless, she needs a bodyguard or three. I'll just offer up this inconvenience for her. If Bella and Edward wanted to do things the right way, someone would need to be with them at all times. In their case, Vanessa is with them almost all the time. However, if she wants to bring three chaperones with her, then so be it.

"When's the outing?" I asked.

"Saturday afternoon," Bella answered.

"I'll do it."

The rest of the week, I was in good spirits. Bella was going on a date with the only man she loved her whole life. There might be a lot of other men she had liked but it was only Edward that was in her heart. I knew that the feeling was mutual. Edward better not make Bella cry again or he'll have me to deal with.

When Saturday afternoon came, I made sure that I looked decent. I made sure that my hair was neat, my clothes didn't have wrinkles, and that I had put on a little Cool Water. I didn't know about anybody but I won't get out of the house without making myself look presentable.

We agreed to go bowling. I was glad that it was the choice of game. I was good at it-I used to represent my state when I was younger. When I got to the bowling alley, Edward, Bella, and Vanessa were there, along with a petite woman that could pass for a sprite.

Edward approached me and shook my hand. Bella and Vanessa both hugged me and kissed me. Then, the sprite approached us.

"Jacob, I want you to meet my cousin, Alice," Edward said.

I shook her hand. The more I looked at her, the more I realized that she had a delicate feature. She reminded me of Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was so beautiful. "Nice to meet you."

We played several games of bowling. Of course, I was beating them by a mile. I did my best to teach Vanessa but she was quite good at it already. I taught her myself. It was Alice that had the worst score. When we took a break, I sat next to Alice.

"You don't play bowling often, do you?" I pointed out.

She shook her head. "Growing up, I can't get out of the house so I never really experienced bowling until I was older."

"Your parents were strict?" Bella told me her story but it would be rude if I didn't ask her myself. For now, I considered what Bella told me as gossip that needed to be verified.

She shook her head. "They died when I was young. My aunt and uncle did their best to make me go outside but I just don't want to go outside. Have you always been good at it?"

I shook my head. "When I was younger, I was quite bad at it. Bella used to tease me about it but I decided to practice every afternoon. Eventually I became so good at it that I joined the varsity team and became the state champion three years in a row."

"That's so cool!" she said.

I shook my head. "It just takes practice. I can show you a trick or two if you like."

"It would be lovely."

We continued playing bowling. Alice and Edward teamed up against the rest of us. Of course, we won. There were three of us and only two of them.

The next day, Bella was asking me about Edward. Of course, I told her what I already knew. Edward was a good guy. He was perfect for her.

"So, can we do it again next week?" she asked.

"Yes. Just name the time and place and I'll be there," I said without thinking.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Jacob. Alice and Vanessa will be there of course. I know you don't know Alice very well but you'll like her. She's a good girl."

"I believe you." I didn't tell her that Alice was very beautiful.

"You're blushing," Bella said.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

Bella searched for her bag, took out a compact, and opened it. She then turned the mirror toward me. I was blushing indeed.

"Oh my gosh! Jacob has a crush on Alice," Bella teased.

"No, I don't!"

Bella just smiled and paused. "Remember, Edward and I will go on a date again next week. I expect you to be there."

I just nodded. I would be looking forward for her next date.

When Saturday afternoon came, I made sure to put on my best rock climbing attire, fixed my hair, and put on my perfume. I wouldn't want to stink when a certain pixie get close to me as soon as I got sweaty.

When I got there, Vanessa and Bella were already there. They both hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

"Uncle Jacob, your perfume's too strong," Vanessa said.

Bella elbowed Vanessa on the rib. "You look perfect. Would you like to start? Edward and Alice got stuck in traffic. They'll be here in forty minutes."

"I didn't see any traffic," I said.

"They're coming from one of Alice's job site. There was a huge accident that had caused a big traffic jam. It's on the news earlier. They're coming from the opposite direction."

"Let's get started then." I was bummed that her date was late but what can we do?

-FTP-

So, what do you think of Jacob having a crush at Alice? I think it's cute that Jacob's first female crush is Edward's cousin. He really likes the Cullens, doesn't he?


	14. Chapter 14 Bella

A/N: Hello, everyone! How are you? I've been quite preoccupied with my new Scentsy busines. Between that and my work at the tax office, I barely had a lot of time to post even though I had finished it Sunday. This story is more than halfway done. Thank you for sticking with me the entire time. I know that I have a lot to improve on as a writer. Hopefully, my next stories would be a lot better.

-FTP-

Chapter 14: Bella

Edward and I had now been dating for five months. Somehow, Jacob also found himself dating Alice two months ago-one month after they met. The two had been sickeningly sweet. I knew for a fact that Jacob had also been carrying a two carat diamond ring on his pocket for a few weeks now-he bought it last month. He decided to propose tonight. He already had the blessing of Edward's parents and Edward too. I was happy for both of them. They both deserved to be happy.

As Alice's best friend, I was also relieved that Alice was crazy about Jacob as much as Jacob was crazy about her. After her traumatic experience as a preteen, it never occurred to her to date. She was wary of men. Somehow, Jacob's gentle and kind nature broke through Alice's tough exterior. I was glad it happened. Jacob was a good man.

The only thing I was miffed about was that they're going to beat Edward and I at the altar. Edward and I already decided to get married too-he already proposed and had asked for my parents' permission. However, with both of our busy schedules we didn't have the time to plan for our wedding. It had also slipped my mind to tell my siblings. I knew they didn't approve of Edward so why do I have to talk to them about the status of my relationship?

"Are you ready?" I asked Jacob.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he said.

Jacob asked Vanessa, Edward, and I to help him prepare his proposal. Edward was more than happy to help. Vanessa was excited too. I'm elated myself. My two best friends were getting engaged. What more could I ask?

That evening, everything was set up. It was at the rooftop of a popular hotel which Jacob rented for the evening. I made sure to order Alice's favorite flowers and hired some professional decorators. Vanessa would be providing the music. Edward was supposed to videotape it all. We also had some camera to capture this moment. Jacob and Alice deserved the best.

It was all ready. I sat next to Edward as I watched the entire thing. The moment Alice arrived, Vanessa began playing the piano. They ate food I had asked for the caterers to prepare. While they were eating, Jacob did what he could to move it in the direction he wanted.

"What do you think of the future, Alice? Do you see me in it?" he asked.

Alice looked so uncertain. "What? Are you trying to break up with me?" she asked as tears began forming in her eyes.

Jacob shook his head. "Definitely not. You're the most beautiful woman I know. You also have a kind heart. While I barely have met you, I know that I want to spend my life with you. Alice, will you marry me?"

Alice nodded and could barely say a word as tears rolled down her eyes. She managed to say yes.

Edward, Vanessa, and I approached the happy couple. That's when I noticed Carlisle and Esme coming from downstairs.

"Your parents are here?" I asked.

"Of course. Jacob wanted them here too. They pulled the strings so that they would have a reservation when Jacob wanted it. They put the advanced payment too. Don't tell Jacob about that," he said.

I nodded. I didn't realize that Esme and Carlisle were quite supportive of Jacob and Alice. I was about to approach Alice and Jacob when my phone vibrated. It was Rosalie.

"Yes, Rosalie, what is it?" I answered.

"Bella, you need to come! Tanya had gotten into a car accident and she's in the ICU," Rosalie said.

I didn't know how to react. I must've stood there for a while as Edward took the phone from my hand and talked to Rosalie herself. He led me to Jacob and Alice, said a few words, and dragged me out of the hotel.

After ten minutes, I managed to find my words.

"Where are we going? I haven't even congratulated Jacob and Alice yet. Where's Vanessa? This night was supposed to be special for them," I said.

"I already told Jacob and Alice what happened. They're also on their way. Vanessa's with my parents," he said.

Rosalie was crying when I got there. She hugged me and brought me to the spot where she was sitting with Emmett and the kids.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Drunk driver hit Tanya," she said.

In that moment, I was angry. How could someone drink and drive? Because of their carelessness, I might lose my sister.

Edward led me downstairs to wait for Alice and Jacob. They were having the time of their lives when Alice suddenly froze. She held onto Jacob tightly. Edward and I hurried towards her.

"He's my rapist! Alice screamed pointing to the injured man.

In that instant, Edward ran to the direction Alice pointed and tried to catch the man. Jacob followed Edward leaving me to go to Alice.

Jacob and Edward managed to catch the man. Edward stepped in front of the man and was able to stop them first. The man took out a butterfly knife and pushed it forward to Edward's direction. Edward managed to avoid it before it could hit him. Jacob had tackled the man and subdued him as the man's attention was focused on Edward. Fear came inside of me, realizing that the two men that I cared about deeply could've gotten hurt. I called the police.

I came with Edward, Alice, and Jacob at the police station. There, they charged the man of the crime that he had managed to evade for years. After that, Edward tried to drive me home.

"I need to be at the hospital for Tanya!" I said.

"You're in no shape to be anywhere for anybody. Sleep. The doctors and the nurses are taking good care for her. Visiting hours is only until eight so your family is going home soon too. We'll be there tomorrow," he said. He went home after dropping me off.

I brushed my teeth and took a shower. Then, I did my best but I couldn't sleep well that night.

-FTP-

What do you think would happen to Tanya? Alice's rapist had been on the loose that entire time. It's a good thing that he got caught. It will take some time for him to have a trial but it's okay. Jacob is with her.


	15. Chapter 15 Bella

A/N: Hello, everyone! How's everyone doing? I've been so busy these past few days with tax season drawing to a close. It means that have put off filing their taxes actually comes around this time. In addition, I've managed to sell some Scentsy products to family and friends. They seem to love it.

-FTP-

Chapter 15: Bella

It's been three weeks but Tanya still hasn't woken up. Mom already told Jasper what happened. He managed to secure a leave to come home. James wanted to come too but his superiors wouldn't let him. He already had a scheduled leave for next month.

I couldn't concentrate at work. Tanya was still on coma. However, her femur was fractured in three different places so she couldn't walk while she heals. Thankfully, according to Edward, she was healing nicely. The bone was repairing itself.

Alice and Jacob was busy preparing for their wedding. Alice wanted to postpone her wedding because of me but I wouldn't let her. At least something happy is happening around here. Edward also was busy. Jacob asked him to be his best man. Meanwhile, I was having a hard time fulfilling my maid-of-honor duties. It was Jacob and Alice preparing this wedding by themselves. Not that Jacob mind. He gladly did it with Alice.

Finally, Tanya woke up. At first she was disoriented. And then she was shocked. After that, she was angry. She was angry that she couldn't walk for weeks. I tried to be patient but she was getting on my nerves. I knew I should understand her but she was making things harder for me.

One day, I came to be with her alone. Vanessa and Edward decided to have a father-daughter bonding time away from her Uncle Jacob and Aunt Alice who were busy sampling cakes. This gave me a time to be alone with my sister.

Tanya was still in the ICU under intense observation. Since she was still in a lot of pain and having a hard time breathing, the doctors had not moved her out of the intensive care. I was there watching Tanya. She was still in a lot of pain but things were getting better. They might move her to a regular room soon.

"So, how was Edward?" she asked.

"He's doing good. He's Jacob's best man," I said.

"Best man?" Tanya asked, surprised.

"Yes. He's marrying Edward's cousin. I was chosen as her maid-of-honor," I said.

"Don't you think his cousin would've liked someone else to be her maid-of-honor?" Tanya asked.

I shook my head. "No. She asked me herself. I would've ended up being Jacob's best woman but his fiancée asked me first."

"Oh."

"Alice and I are close," I said.

I made sure that I stayed with Tanya that day. Her mood was getting better. She was always on the phone, texting. I caught a glimpse of her phone one time. The wallpaper was of her and James. I was surprised. I decided not to push it. She'll tell us when she's ready.

I appreciated the time spent with my sister. We almost lost her. Right now I was glad that she's getting better.

When I got home that night, Vanessa was playing piano with Edward. It was a beautiful sight seeing the father and daughter doing what they both loved.

"Hi!" I shouted.

Vanessa stopped what she was doing and rushed to hug me. Edward moved at a normal pace before hugging me and kissing me on the lips.

"Vanessa and I made you spaghetti," he said.

"Thank you," I said.

Edward and Vanessa got the spaghetti. I swirled the pasta with my fork, and took a bite. "It's good," I said.

"Vanessa made the sauce," Edward said.

So it was one of those hit or miss thing.

"Anyway, I think it's time," Edward said, holding out a diamond ring on his hand.

"Edward!" I was so touched I hugged him and gave him a peck on the lips.

"So, will you-"

"Yes!" I shouted.

I held out my hand and he put the ring on it.

"Yes!" Vanessa shouted. She held out her phone and called someone. "Uncle Jacob, mom said yes."

Edward might not be as flashy as Jacob but I knew that he loves me. I prefer that style.

"Mom, Uncle Jacob and Aunt Alice want to talk to both of you," she said.

"Congratulations!" Jacob shouted. Alice's voice was in the background telling him to ask us how Edward did it.

After telling Alice and Jacob what happened, we decided that we need to plan for our wedding. We set the date for next year. Alice and Jacob were getting married in a few months-exactly nine months since they met. I didn't want to get married on the same year that they did. In addition to that, I wanted to do my research on how to make this a simple wedding. I only wanted my close family and friends to be there.

First, I needed to tell my family what happened. I was hoping that they wouldn't freak out.

-FTP-

End notes:

What do you think? Bella and Alice are not going to get married in the same year. In my culture, there is a superstition stating that if siblings get married in the same year, something bad is going to happen. Since Alice is Edward's adopted sister, I'm following our tradition-siblings can't get married the same year.


	16. Chapter 16 Bella

A/N: How are you everyone? Sorry for the late update. Last week, I updated my story The Vampire Hour which means that I didn't update this week. In addition to that, between the Holy Week and the tax season getting into a climax, I didn't know how to cut my body in half to do what I want to do.

Guess what? I also managed to make the top 10 in sales of my Scentsy group this week. Yippee! This was a huge accomplishment for me because I didn't even think I'll sell one Scentsy product let alone make it to the top 10. It's like writing this story. It takes time to build a following. However, what I learned in writing fanfiction, I'm using for my Scentsy business. :-)

That being said, thank you for the support you have given me so far.

-FTP-

"He's at your house. He wants to make a good impression to your parents, remember?" I reminded him.

"Great. The only time when I wish to be with my cousin and her fiancé is when they're trying to meet my parents," Edward said.

"No matter what, I'll protect you," I said. I knew that my siblings don't like him but it's not their decision to make who I should or shouldn't be with. It's mine. My parents used to disapprove of Edward when we were young. Now that we're on our 30's, they've been telling us to get married almost everytime they talked to us. I was going to make the announcement of us getting married.

The day went uneventful. Rosalie came with her husband and her boys. Tanya came here on her crutches with James. He was on leave and had to come back in two weeks. I was surprised when she told the family that they were dating but I was elated with the news. James was a good man. For some reason, Rosalie and Jasper weren't happy with it. They haven't talked to her in two weeks-the moment she broke the news to us.

During lunchtime, Rosalie avoided Tanya like plague. Meanwhile, I tried to stick with Tanya as she was the only one of my siblings that had supported me with my decision to be with Edward. She needed to know that I was happy that she was happy even if Rosalie and Jasper were against them.

Jacob and Alice, along with the rest of the Black family, would be coming here for dinner. It was a tradition that we had developed over the years. Billy and his family would celebrate Thanksgiving lunch separately. During dinnertime, they all go to the house that they decided on.

Our families were so close that Jacob and his siblings were like our own siblings. His parents were like my parents. When Sue came into the picture, we welcome her as if she was our own. We even visit each family's graves during All Saints' Day. We visit our grandparents' graves on that day while we visit Jacob's mom and his grandparents.

Emmett was busy playing outside with his kids. I told Edward to join them. Meanwhile, Vanessa was with us helping us in the kitchen. It was a bonding time with us women. We talk while we cook. We find out a lot of gossips that way. We needed as much hands as we could. Jacob alone could eat for three people. Personally, I think that he needs to be more careful with a lot of the food he's eating. Billy was severely obese and had lost his foot due to diabetes.

"So Bella, how's Edward?" mom asked.

"Edward's great. He and Vanessa spends a lot of quality time together," I said.

"When are you going to get married?" mom asked.

"Mom!" I really don't want to ruin the surprise.

"I'm just saying if the two of you had decided to get back together now, maybe it's time for the two of you to walk down the aisle," she said.

"So, Tanya, I see that James had been quite an attentive boyfriend," mom pointed out.

I cringed. Tanya was a very private person who doesn't want the entire family to know what she's been up to. On the other hand, mom was the most nosey person alive. She was in everyone's business.

"It's true. He's very kind," Tanya said. She closed her mouth on the subject.

I was sure mom wanted to probe farther. However, she decided to drop the subject. At least she could take a hint.

Mom told us about Leah, Jacob's stepsister. She and Sam were going through a rough patch, with Sam losing his job and her being a stay-at-home mom. Jacob offered to give them a job at the company but Sam was a proud man. Hopefully, they'll make it. They were one of the strongest couple I know.

I hoped that one day, my marriage would be like that of mom and dad. Or Edward's parents. They're still happily married too. I knew that I had good role models in my life.

That evening, Jacob came with Alice. Alice saw Tanya and Rosalie and began to attack my sisters.

Jacob tried to hold her but she was too mad to be contained.

"You're with the man who hurt my cousin! You let him beat Edward! You did nothing to stop them! You're the reason why Edward and Bella weren't together! Jacob let me go! Let me get my hands on them! They're the reason why Edward and Bella got separated for a very long time!"

In that moment, I was in shock. Then, words about how Edward was beaten up and by my siblings began to seep in. In that moment, I myself couldn't control myself. I moved toward my siblings but it was Edward that stopped me.

-FTP-

End Notes: What do you think of Alice being a mama bear? She's had a hard time growing up. Hence, she's unapologetic when it comes to defending the people she loves.


	17. Chapter 17 Edward

A/N: Hello, everyone! How are you? Tax season is now over so I have a lot more free time. That being said, every accountant is on vacation which means that their assistants only have to answer phone calls and organize the office. It's a month of relaxation and no urgent deadlines. Yipee!

As for my Scentsy business, I got valuable advice from my aunt, my mom, and my cousins. I also want to know more from my grandparents because they did have a food processing company that made a lot of money before. Who knew I have so many business people in my life? The valuable advice I got from my aunt was to demonstrate the product. From my cousin, to use the social media. For my mom, how to organize my workspace (she used to manage my grandparents' factory). Wish me luck!

This is the second to the last chapter. Next chapter is going to be the last one. We do need to hear from Jasper, right? After this, I'll concentrate on my other story-The Vampire Hour.

-FTP-

"Ouch!" Bella cried.

I added more pressure on her wound.

"Edward!" Bella complained.

"That's what you get for fighting with your sisters," I told her. What Jasper did wasn't Bella's fault. Her siblings had been against our relationship from the very beginning. And I wouldn't let her siblings' dislike of me to stop me from being with this woman. Even when we weren't together, I still remembered her. I have never forgotten her.

When Jasper beat me up, I told my parents not to press charges. They were out for blood. I told them not press charges. We were a peaceful family and we believe in God's justice. I told them that let God be the judge. We're not going to file a lawsuit. However, as a compromise, we agreed to leave until I was twenty-one. Since I was seventeen at the time, I agreed.

We moved to Los Angeles. It was a good place for me for therapy. That's all that Alice knew. She didn't realize that we already had that conversation regarding Jasper. Alice and I thrived in Los Angeles. While I had to give up being a concert pianist, I didn't mind. If it weren't for that event, I wouldn't have changed my major. I doubt that being a concert pianist would be as fulfilling as saving people's lives.

"It's a long time ago," I said.

"But Jasper hurt you," she told me.

"Yes, but I let God be the judge. I'm pretty sure the reason why he hadn't found the love of his life was because of what he did to me," I told her.

"You're right. He's been unlucky in terms of his love life," she said.

"I love you, Bella. I thought that I wouldn't see you again. And yet, you're here in front of me. We're getting married next year. We have a daughter. What more should I ask?" I told her.

I was glad that Bella was here and that she loves me so much she would fight for me. At the same time, I looked back and felt sad. I should've gotten married to her a lot sooner. And yet, if we had gotten together back then, would we achieve the success we're experiencing at the moment professionally?

We ran out of bandage so I went to the bathroom. On the hallway, I heard Alice complained about Jacob trying to stop her. Jacob apologized, of course. He said that he didn't know that it's what happened between me and Bella. Why we weren't together for a very long time. I managed to find some bandage for Bella.

On my way back, Bella's father stood in front of me. He said something I didn't expect to hear from him.

"I'm so sorry, son," he said. He had always called me son.

"Mr. Swan, what happened wasn't your fault," I told him. Let's face it. It's Jasper's. Not his dad. Jasper's.

"Still, I wanted to apologize. I didn't raise Jasper to be like that," he explained.

"You've raised Bella, too. She's the only woman I had ever loved."

"I'm sorry that you weren't in your daughter's life when she was very young."

I sighed. It's one of those things I should've/could've/would've done something with.

"Still, we can't change the past. What's important is that I'm here now."

"I want to make it up to you," his father said.

I smiled. "That's simple. I'd like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

He stared at me and nodded. "I'd be honored. You and my daughter deserve all the happiness in the world."

I shook my future father-in-law's hands as I went to be with my future wife.

In there, Tanya was crying to Bella.

"I'm sorry," Tanya said repeatedly.

"Get out, Tanya! Right now I don't want to deal with you."

Tanya kept apologizing. However, the moment I came in, she left.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Tanya explained why my other siblings weren't talking to her. It's because of James," Bella said.

"James is a good man. All of them wanted him for me. However, he started dating Tanya," she explained.

"James can date anyone he wants. Including Tanya."

Bella kept pacing back and forth. "My siblings are so controlling," she said.

I held her in my arms and hugged her. "That's family. No family is perfect. They fight, they hurt each other, and they can be mean and vicious at times. However, there's a bond in family that shouldn't be broken."

"My siblings are still banned from attending our wedding," she said.

I hugged her and did not say anything. This happened a long time ago so I had the time to forgive the people that hurt me. On the other hand, Bella had just found out the truth. She needed time to process this like I did.

-FTP-

End Notes:

So, what do you think about Edward's insight? We learned what really happened in Edward's point of view. Alice knew what happened but she didn't know everything. Carlisle and Esme would protect their children. Since Edward had convinced them not to press charges (they do think Bella as their own), they knew they needed to take Edward away. It's the only way to protect him. They knew that once Edward reaches the age of majority, they couldn't stop him so they told him that only then can he go and see Bella. We knew what happened then-it was what Alice told Bella.


	18. Chapter 18 Jasper

A/N: Hello, everyone! How are you? I hope you're doing well. We've reached the last chapter of this story. It's been a good five months. Thank you for sticking with me this whole time. I'm surprised to have so many readers.

Back when I started all those years ago, I didn't even have a hundred hits. Now, I have 11800+ hits. Thank you for the support.

I know I'm not the best writer but with each chapter, I know I'll improve. I hope to do well on my next projects. The first project I'll do after this is The Vampire Hour. With practice, it would likely be better than this story. If I encounter writer's block, I'll likely start another one while writing The Vampire Hour. Still, I want to focus on one story at a time.

-FTP-

I heard from Rosalie about Bella's wedding. She wasn't invited at all. However, Tanya became the bridesmaid to that wedding. I had not spoken with Tanya for six months. The last I heard, she and James were doing well. I haven't spoken to James either. He was transferred to Germany and we only kept track of each other through Facebook.

Anyway, Rosalie sent me the wedding announcement. I needed to go. I had to take my leave so that I could stop my sister from getting married. Thank goodness for the Wedding Bann.

Wedding Banns were created for people like me. Long ago, the church did it so that people who are against the wedding could issue a protest. That way, they could stop the wedding and there won't be a case for annulment later.

I was doing it so that my sister won't make a mistake. I needed to make sure that she would find the best man for her. Hence, I was walking into the church to issue my protest before the wedding.

I sat at the back of the church. That was when I saw a pregnant pint sized lady that would've looked so cute if she wasn't carrying a beach ball in her stomach. She proceeded my way and decided to punch me. I did my best to block her attacks. She managed to land five punches on me. She was good.

"You've kept me waiting for a long time!" she said.

Who was she and why was she so mad at me? "I'm sorry ma'am," I said.

Yet, she still came at me. That was when Jacob intervened.

"Please excuse my wife, Jasper. She's pregnant and is very hormonal," Jacob said. Yet, I could tell that there's a slight twitch on his mouth, as if he was trying to stop himself from laughing.

"Well, control your woman!" I said. Too bad she was married and pregnant. I would totally date her.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Afghanistan?" Jacob asked.

"Well, I couldn't miss my sister's wedding for the world." And my need to stop it.

"In that case, go talk to your father. He's actually outside," Jacob said.

He led me to where my father was standing with my mother with Rosalie as well.

I hugged my father. He hugged me back before punching me in the gut.

"Do you realize what you have done with your sister? You ruined her chance of happiness. You and Rosalie are to stay here with me while the wedding is happening," he said.

"Shouldn't you walk Bella down the aisle?" I asked.

"I would. However, I'm doing it as a penance to raising horrible children to not attend my daughter's wedding ceremony. Bella insisted that I walked her down the aisle but I needed to keep her other siblings in line. That being said, we'll all watch that wedding on video right there. Bella made sure I was a part of it. So after the wedding ceremony, I'll head out to the reception as father of the bride," he said.

I nodded. We watched as the bridal march started. Tanya and the pregnant woman were both in the procession but it was Vanessa who was the maid-of-honor. Bella was with Mr. and Mrs. Cullen when she walked down the aisle. Bella and Edward exchanged their vows and their rings the traditional Catholic way. When the wedding was over, my father let us all go.

I was thinking about going to the reception. Yet, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. A man like Edward was not good enough for my sister.

Rosalie left and came with Emmett. They could be heading to the reception but I wasn't so sure. Like me, she wasn't formally invited.

Meanwhile, I headed out to the parking lot. I didn't want to congratulate my sister who married a schmuck. I would go home and go back to the plane. I couldn't do anything with my parents watching. After all, we were supposed to respect our parents and if they say not to do anything, I couldn't do anything. That was when I saw her again. The cute but pregnant woman. I needed to be on guard.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I don't think we've met."

"I was Edward's cousin. The one who was with him when you beat him up years ago," she said.

All I remembered that day was that Edward was with a woman. Her name was Alice. She was a brunette who didn't want to let go of my sister's boyfriend at the time.

I looked closer at her face. They had the same birth dot at the corner of their mouth.

"No! I'm sorry," I said. What have I done? I had ruined my sister's happiness.

"You've ruined my cousin's happiness. Maybe this time, you'd regret what you've done. Edward had always been a brother to me. Bella had always been my sister even though we didn't have the same parents. You've hurt them both because of your actions," she said.

"I'm sorry," I said again. I didn't know what else I could do. She was right.

"The sad part was that the first time I saw you, I thought you were the most handsome man in the world. Then you hurt my cousin. That being said, I was so angry and remembered your face. All these years, I've seen my cousin go from relationship to relationship but never being fully happy because he's not with Bella. I told myself that I'll punch you when I see you next time. I'm going to the reception. I'm the matron-of-honor after all," she said.

She then left me after that. As soon as she was gone, things had entered my mind. She was really cute but she was married now. Had I left Edward alone, would she and I have been together? She was feisty enough to be my ideal woman.

I would never know. All I knew was that it was my fault that my sister didn't get her happy ending sooner. I would forever regret what I have done in her life.

-FTP-

Ending Notes: So, Jasper's point of view. What do you think? The truth was, if Jasper didn't do what he did with Edward, he would've ended up with Alice. However, he did hurt Edward and Bella without even repenting so he doesn't get his happy ending. Alice is happy with Jacob-he's gentle enough for her especially with her tragic past. He's exactly who she needs. They both didn't expect to fall in love with each other let alone get married.


End file.
